Myles is in the hospital.

Hi, came home today from the studio, put Myles down so that he could go to the yard and potty. Drake was with us and he took off running and ran over Myles, it was an accident, but he really ended up hurting Myles. Myles kept crying and crying, so I decided to take hi to the Animal Emergency Hospital where they fianlly told me that he was going to need surgery. His little elbow was broken and his growth plate was in the wrong place now. They also told me that his pain level was way too high, and that they would have to keep him with them overnight. I might get to pick him up tomorrow and bring him home for the day, but then he will have to go back on Monday for the surgery. It broke my heart to leave him there tonight. He is with me everywhere I go, and now he is there by himself. I asked it he could have his little blanket but they wouldn't let him keep it. Man oh man, I miss my little man. And poor Drake, he knew that something had happened but didn'tknow what to do. They when I came home tonight all of the other dogs were looking for Myles. It is funny how they knew that something was different.
Well, I'm going to bed now, I hope to bring my baby home tomorrow.
night,
Charlie

Having a hard time with my posts.

Well, this is the third post that I am trying to write and get saved. I was trying to add pictures and then I lost them and got everything all messed up. I want to post pictures of my classes and what my great students did this week. I'll try to work on them again tomorrow, the pictures that is. My Tuesday morning class is so sweet. Right now there are only two women in there with me, but it is perfect. Both women have only been in the area for a year or two and have been needing a place to belong. They are sharing their lives with each other, and have found a haven for themselves. They both have such sweet spirts, and it is really nice to be around them. As they were talking about how much it meant to them to come in to the studio it only reafirmed my dream for the studio. I wanted it to be a place where women,or men, could come and have a safe haven from all of life's problems and stress. When they come in thru my doors I want them to feel as if they have come home, does that make sense? I have a sofa, with recliners on both ends, a massage chair, t.v., microwave, oven, and ice machine. All the comforts of home. LOL. But I am serious, I want things to be so nice that they want to come in to the studio, to like it as much as I do. Hey, I even like to take naps up there and I sleep really well there. See, dreams do come true.

Okay, good night for now. I'll pop back in later.
Charlie

Oh so quiet!

Thursday night's class so so quiet, and there was even a full house. I had four students and then there was a crochet class in the front with three people, and still it was quiet. For once everyone was concentrating on what they were doing. Not that we don't concentrate every week, but last night was different. I really think that the project that I had them doing was too much for one class, it was my fault. Sorry to all of my students this week, and I'll try not to squeeze so much into a class.

Here are some pictures from the two classes that I had this week, and also from the crochet class.Theresa and Patty are working hard to get their pattern in the right place, and Myles is working hard catching some zzzzzz's.

Isn't he just the cutest thing? And he is

so sweet and cute and very good while at the studio with me. His favorite thing to do is for me to hold him while I'm painting. He just sits in my arm for as long as I want to hold him. He just fills my heart with so much love.

Theresa and Patty both liked there pieces and are looking forward to next weeks project. We are going to work on strokes the whole class, instead of trying to finish a piece. We are going to work on Donna's pretty paisley for class, and that is what I did for my level two. I decided to introduce this to the class because it has so many different strokes and new ideas to introduce to them.

Thursday night class started with a great surprise, Ms. Judy was back again. I hadn't seen her since before Christmas and I'm so glad that she was back with us. Her side kick, Diane was with her and she was very missed.

Everytime I look at Judy she just has a sweet smile on her face. Sitting next to her and concentrating so hard is Penni. She is a character, you just never know what she is going to say.

Ms. Pat was taking a break from the painting and talking to the other women. She was behind, but we got her caught up and then she surpassed all of us.




And Kathy is sitting with her back to me, she is still really quiet, but she is loosing up some. And she shared with us that she has lost 69 pounds now with Weight Watcher. I need her around me to keep encouraging me so that I can lose my 50.

see, God sent me an Angel.

Ms Judy got one of her finished and is showing off with a beautiful smile. She said that Diane is going to be upset that she didn't come cause this project would have looked great in her house.

Kathy did great with her piece too. I love seeing how everyone does the same thing, but with their own style.

Here is Penni, and she did great. She will finish her other urn when she gets home. She has plans of hanging this on one of her walls in her house.

-

Of course when I took her photo she wanted to pretend like she was Wilson, off of Tim Allen's show, and let us just see her eyes. Funny Girl.

And I can't leave out my Ms. Pat. She has been so faithful in coming to class, being an encourager to me when I have needed it. She is a special blessing in my life. She is not allowed to drive at nights now, so my Demon Elf, which has to come up with a new name since it isn't Christmas anymore, has voluteered to pick her up each night and drive her home. Such a sweet Demon. LOL.

And of course, what would a photo opt be if I didn't have Myles in there for all to see. He was very good Thursday night, but he did keep us busy with changing his pee pee pads. He was have gotten ahold of something that wasn't good for him.

And our friendly Demon is showing us what she learned in crochet class. Joanie and Ellen left before I got the camera out, but I'll get them next time.

Okay, that is all for now. I'm going to go and get some rest. Hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend. I am going to an auction tonight, and I'm looking forward to going. Take care and I'll write more next week.

Charlie

Today is the day for the One World, One Heart big giveaway.

This is almost like Christmas, but you just don't know if you are really going to get anything or not. But I know who is getting my items, and I'm getting ready to send the info to them. It was fun doing the random number pick, and then going to read the names. How fun!!!

For my first giveaway is going to Pea's Corner and she is located in Canada. I am sending her one of my first clay projects. It is a flower vase that I did a flaux finish on and then made the roses to place on it. I sure do hope she likes it.

And since I had so many comments I decided to pull a second number and this time the giveaway goes to Jo Anne O. at Paper Cat's Edge, and she lives in Pennsylvania. I am sending her a jar that is painted with cute little fish. This is one of my best sellers, so I hope it becomes one of her favorites.

Well, I guess that is it for now. I've got to tell you that I've had a ton of fun going in and meeting other people out there and seeing and reading all of these blogs. Don't be surprised it I don't pop in from time to time. Thanks,

Charlie

Classes are back and in full swing.

Have I told you before that I love my classes? Well, I do. I get to meet some of the nicest and funniest women, and sometimes even men. I was a little nervous about starting classes back up, I kept wondering if students would come back or would I have to start all over again. It had been since before Christmas when I held my last class. But, I was blessed this week with 4 new students and 2 of my regulars.

This week we painted a rooster, it had been requested by a regular student. The new students really seemed to like it, it was a good way to introduce them to One Stoke painting, and they had a nice project to take home with them.

My friend, Sandy, gave me a couple of her class plans and I decided to start doing my classes like her's. So now when my students get there I give them a laminated copy of the strokes that we are doing, along with the written instructions. It is a great item for them to have and to take home to be able to practice on their own. Everyone seemed happy with the new ideas. Thank you Sandy!

Okay, here are the pictures from this week's classes.

This is Patty, and it was her first class with me. She has been living in the area for a little over a year and was so excited to be in here painting.

This is Kathy's first time with me. She has painted before, but it has been a while. She seemed really quiet, but with Pat and Kathy S. in the class no one can stay quiet for long. It was funny, Pat thought that Kathy was using my supplies and so Pat was helping herself to Kathy's supplies. It was so funny when Pat realized that she was using Kathy's and not mine. And Kathy

didn't say a thing, just let her use them. It was a great ice breaker for everyone.

Penni joined us last night for the first time, and she fit right in. She was telling jokes and joining in with the others. It was like she had been here all along.

This is Theresa, and it was her first time also. She has been living here for about two years ago and was thrilled to see my ad in the paper. She looks so familiar to me, but we really have never met before, how funny is that?

I just realized that I forgot to take a picture of Ms. Pat and Kathy S.'s roosters. Oops. But I did remember to take a picture of Myles, and he is here for every class. Isn't he just way too cute?

Okay, I'm going to work now. Got things to paint and clay to play with. Thanks for visiting and please come again soon.

thanks,

and remember to dream the impossible and aim for it.

Charlie

Welcome a new blogger.

I have a favor to ask, if you don't mind. I have encouraged my oldest friend, Becky, to start her own blog. I've told her about all the wonderful people that I have met here in blogland, and would love for her to meet some you. Could you go in and just give Becky a big hello and welcome her into the blogging family?
Thanks,
Charlie

What title do I use today? A blessing was Born.

This morning as I layed in bed I got a phone call from a dear friend telling me that she and her husband were on their way to the hospital for the birth of their new granddaughter. I told her to let me go take a shower and I would be on my way. They are our "northern" friends, and Cathy and I tell others that we are sisters separated at birth. We spend a lot of our time teaching each other about our "regional" ways. We are their "southern" friends, and she believes that my husband knows everything and can do almost anything. It is so much fun when we go out to dinner and we will be talking about something and every once in a while one of us gets this totally loss look on our face. We just look at each other and just start to laugh.

Okay, back to the story about the baby. I got to the hospital about 9:30a.m. and got to go in and see Kim and Stan, the soon to be parents. Kim looked beautiful, even thought she had been in labor for about 8 hours, and Stan was right there beside her giving her the quiet strength that she needed. We left the room and went back out to the waiting room and just hung out with the family for a while. When Cathy and George, my friends, moved here they had to make sure that their children were going to come with them. Now let me explain this one to you. They have three girls, ranging in age from early thirties to mid twenties. But when they decided to move because of George's job they talked it over with the girls and their husbands. Kim wasn't married at the time, matter of fact she didnt even know Stan at the time. But the girls all decided to move down with their parents, and the husbands all were in agreement. So Cathy and George came down, found Cathy's dream home, and got settled. Then the girls started moving down, staying with their parents until their own homes were built. Kim finally came down and when she did she brought Stan with her. They said that they were just really close friends, but before long you could tell that they were more than just friends.

Cathy and George have such big, open hearts. They have family night every Sunday, all the girls are there with their families. Before long they were inviting our family to join them, and our tradition for "family night" was born. I love being around them, I think that they show others what it means to be "family". I am not saying that they have a perfect family, but they have a real family. They get upset with each other once in a while but no matter what they stand together as one. The love that they have for one another is so obvious, and one can only dream about having the same kind of family. I am a strong believer in family, cause when it comes right down to it all we really have in life is our family.

Anyway, I had to leave today and go to the studio, but my son Philip came and took over so that I could go back to the hospital. When I got there I found them still waiting. They hadn't left nor were they going anywhere. Even the brother-in-law and 6 week old baby boy was there. We got to go in and see Kim again and she was in heavy labor at this point, and you could see the pain in her eyes. But there was no panic in her eyes, and Stan was calm, at least on the outside. Kim told us that she thought that her mom should get the nurse because she felt the need to push. Cathy went and got the nurse, and let's just say that the time for the big event was there. We had all been picking times for the birth as we were sitting in the waiting room and all of sudden Cathy has a special look on her face. She started saying that she wanted the baby to wait and come after 4:00p.m.. I know it was one of those times that I had a lost look on my face, I'm thinking.....4:00? What is so important about 4:00p.m.? Do we get a discount on the room? A new doctor? What? Then she smiles and tells me that at 4:00 Kim and Stan would have been offically married for nine months. We figured about 4:15 would be more like it, and guess when our blessing was born? Nope, not at 4:15, but close. Sonya Rose came in to the world at 4:24p.m., weighing in at 8 pounds 4 ozs, and 18 inches long. Yes, she was and is beautiful. She looks like her daddy, but there is also some of Kim in her. When we got to go in and see the new little family, Kim took my breath away. There was a glow about her,and you couldn't tell that she had just given birth. Just beautiful. The joy and love in the room was so thick you could have just reached out and touched it. I stayed long enough to see the baby and then I just backed out to the room as everyone else was in there laughing, crying, kissing, and just enjoying their precious new gift. Even as I walked to my car I was surrounded by their love, and I smiled the whole way. What a special gift I had been given today, to be a part of such an occassion.

So as you say your prayers tonight please remember this new little bundle of joy and her parents, that God will grant them much joy, love, and laughter. That He will guide them in every step they take, and for the wisdom they will need as they walk down this new path.

Thanks, and remember to dream the impossible and to aim for it.
Charlie

I was very blessed today in the fact that this wonderful family allowed me to be a part of this very special time.